MTV World Takes On Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Singer Maysa Daw performs at a community concert in the Jordan Valley in the northern West Bank. (photo credit: Mikhail Galustov/Courtesy of MTV World)

Rebel Music,” a new series from MTV World, showcases young people in six countries around the globe putting themselves on the front lines to make social changes through art and music.

The series, executive produced and given its visual identity by artist Shepard Fairey, gives Millennial Americans a glimpse into the lives of creative, activist youth in Egypt, Afghanistan, Mali, India, Israel/Palestine, and Mexico. The Israel/Palestine episodepremieres on mtvU on December 9.

“We see the headlines about a country in conflict or undergoing revolution and we forget there are young human beings with aspirations living there,” says Nusrat Durrani, MTV World’s general manager and senior vice president, as well as the series’ creator and executive producer.

“We noticed that a lot of countries in the news have stories around youth that are not being told,” he continues in a phone interview with The Times of Israel. “Many of these countries have huge youth populations and many of the movements in those countries are being driven by youth. For instance, we filmed in Egypt during the second revolution there earlier this year.”

In the Israel/Palestine episode, some of the musicians aren’t really all that young, but what matters to MTV is that they are young at heart and idealistic about the power of musical collaboration across political lines to change the status quo.

The episode features both known and lesser-known names in Israeli and Palestinian music. Kobi Farhi of Israeli progressive heavy metal band Orphaned Land (which has been around since 1991) is shown consulting with Abed Hathout of the Acre-based Palestinian-Israeli rock band Khalas (as in “enough” to the conflict) about Arabic lyrics. Khalas, with its Jewish Israeli bass player Rooster Tuning, is also shown performing on the same stage with Orphaned Land.